Freakshow
by InnerBeast
Summary: AU: When a freakshow rolls into town, Jack Harkness ignores the bad feeling in his stomach and attends. There he meets The Doctor, a man with two hearts who knows he is supposed to be somewhere else. Secrets are quickly revealed, and Jack must fight to escape with The Doctor as an enemy closes in around them, ready to kill them all. No Pairings. Gore.
1. Chapter 1: Two Hearts And About A Dozen

_**I do not own Doctor Who.**_

**Dear me,**

**Okay. You. Yes you. Your going to write this fanfiction. I know I can't stop you. But, if your going to - you have to promise me you will not ,make this ridiculously long with multiple twisting plotlines and all that blah. you have other fanfictions to write. I know you just have to write this. And, I know you developed this entire plotline like 5 minutes ago, but I swear, you have to promise me not to go overboard. Okay? Promise.**  
**Sincerely, InnerBeast.**  
**Okay, now that I have written a letter to myself lemme introduce my story. Freakshow is a AU. That being said, I'm sure you know what it means. Also, The Doctor will be OOC, for reasons. Perfectly good reasons. Hating will not be tolerated. I will, however try to keep Jack in character. I am not perfect, John Borrowman or a writer for Doctor Who, so please, please, don't hate me for OOC-ness. Please, Please PLEASE review! That being said, Allons-y!**

_**Chapter 1: Two Hearts and About a Dozen Deaths.**_  
~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~  
He was, in a way, their god.  
By all rights, he was. He controlled when they ate, slept, went to the bathroom and preformed. He looked down on them with the eye of a greater creature, seeing them not as people but animals - freaks.  
But freaks they were, each and every one of them. Some in small ways and some in ways that could not be hidden or ignored.  
Mr. Holeman walked the row of cages, eyeing each one of the freaks like possessions. Evaluating every person like a butcher to a cow, checking to see if it was ready to be killed yet.  
He stopped in front of the very last cage on the right and looked distastefully inside at the resident.  
The freak looked like a normal man, an oh so normal man - But Mr. Holeman knew just how freakish he actually was.  
"You didn't eat your food, freak." He spat distastefully at the man who was huddled in the corner, knees pulled up to his chest and eyes dark.  
He was skinny and wore a wrinkled, torn and dusty pinstripe suit. His sneakers were old, worn and looked as if they had been worn for ages on end. His hands, clenched into fists, were shaking.  
"I can't stand these bars." The man said simply, not looking up at the Director. "This place is so small, so caged in. I can't stand it." His eyes were filled with fear. "I know I belong out there." He said, looking out past Mr. Holemans head, to a tear in the ceiling of the tent where he could clearly see the stars twinkling in the sky.  
The tall man didn't change his expression as he turned around stiffly and looked through the tear in the tent. "You don't belong out there freak - you belong here, in this cage with the other freaks." He said as he turned back to the man.  
"Now, eat, before I make the Lizard shove it down your throat!" He yelled, causing others in cages next to the man to cower in fear of their owner.  
The man didn't flinch, however and continued to stare at the few stars in the sky.  
"Don't make me move you to the chain cell." Mr. Holeman said coldly, causing the man before him to look up at him with fear.  
"Can you Imagine it? Two cages. One inside of the other. Chins around them, around you. No freedom. No moving." The man paused. "No tear to see stars through."  
The man in the cage cowered under the thought. "Nothing should be caged like this...like that...ever..." he said softly, so only he could hear. It was a whisper of breath, like a promise to himself and others.  
He said it as slowly, he moved forward and grabbed the bowl of slop that had been his meal for a forever. Since all he had ever known. He ate it without fit, the rancid taste meaning nothing on his tongue. He did not squirm to it's taste like others did - he simply ate. As he did so, the promise of those words seemed to scream out in his eyes. They held the determination to be free. It was because deep inside, he knew he needed to be out there on the stars, in all of time and space.  
He could feel that time around him, see it and almost understand it - like a vortex that moved throughout the everything of the universe. He knew it was ten twenty three at night.

He could understand any language that came his way. Even that of the Lizard woman two cages down from his. The one that he could feel had been on this world longer than any other person in this tent.  
He was a freak for many reasons - but the reason that people seemed to latch on the most was the pounding of his two hearts.  
~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~  
Jack Harkness was also a freak. Of course he tended kept that bit a secret, the only other person to actually know being friend Gwen Cooper.  
He never actually intended for her to find out either.  
He really didn't mean to die in front of her, and he really _really_ didn't mean to come back to life in her arms. Okay, he did slightly enjoy her shocked face when he smiled and told her she looked pretty right after doing so.  
He didn't, however, enjoy the slap that followed his re-entry into life.  
He had long since given his condition the title of "Immortality." He often smiled at how cool that sounded.  
He had died about a dozen times during his life. The first time being a run in with a sting-ray when he was five, swimming un-attended in the waters of Florida. The last had been during a mugging. He really didn't know why he always came back from the blackness that was death time and time again.  
It also irritated him slightly that he had an unnatural attraction for trouble and, well, death. Even though he was stretching it a bit, he felt that about every week he was thrown into some kind of peril, be it a robbery, shooting or an angry woman he had slept with.  
That was why, at this very moment, he was frowning.  
"Freakshow?" He said inquisitively under his breath at a piece of paper taped on a post by the bus stop.  
The implications ran through his head, thinking of cages, torture or worse - and hoping he was wrong. The curiosity underlying the idea seemed to seep into his mind and he grabbed the paper from the post.  
Examining it closer, another thought crossed his mind.  
It could be fake. Totally, and utterly made up. Just a bunch of people in costumes and makeup, doing tricks that make them look like freaks.  
He was about to throw it out when he realized what it would mean if it was true. More people, like him. Freaks. Torn, he ran his hand trough his hair and folded the paper up, stuffing it into the large pocket of his coat.  
He was then forced to take it out again. For some reason, he had a need deep in his stomach that even considering going to this show was a bad idea. That feeling made him want to go more.  
Jack never claimed to hate his life of excitement. though, dying never got better with time.  
Biting his lip, he checked the dates on the paper for performances. Then, he took out the phone and checked the current date and promptly swore.  
He should have taken it as an omen that the last performance was tonight at ten. He should have thrown out the paper and shrugged, chucking it up as a miss. He didn't however.  
He _really_ should have.  
~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~  
"Oh, come on!" Jack said, looking at Qwen Cooper hopefully "It'll be fun! I promise. I'll buy you popcorn or something."  
They were standing in line at the local coffee shop, waiting to get a warm beverage. All around them people buzzed with noise and chatter like bees on flowers.  
Gwen sighed as crossed her arms, long brown hair hanging in her face slightly. "Why do you think I want to go see some lizard people and the like? I mean I know why you want to, immortal boy, but seriously, why don't you ask someone else?" She said with a Scottish accent, looking at the flyer jack was holding up in front of her face, eyeing the drawling of a lizard lady.  
"I know you loved Cirque Du Freak when you were a kid, Qwen." He said simply with a smile on his face.  
She sighed. "So?"  
"So," He said excitedly. "I know you ran around saying you wanted to join a freakshow and the like."  
She rolled her eyes. "We were like, 12." she said. "I didn't know freaks actually existed."  
Jack smiled. "Until now." He said simply.  
Jack never really let the word 'freak' bother him much. He knew it was true, so why let cowards get the satisfaction they wanted from him. To him, and now Qwen, it was more of a personal joke. Call Jack a freak and he laughes. Fact of life. Get used to it.  
"Point being, that was then. I've seen worse things. I've seen people starved and tied in a basement fed only with cold ramen once a week. I don't need to think about people being put into cages."  
They had been moving slowly through the line and were now at the counter. "Coffee. Black please." She told the Cashier, who nodded when Jack added another coffee to the order.  
"They could not be in cages, ya know. like in those books." Qwen winced.  
"They were books, Jack. Fiction. Like I just said, I've seen such what human nature really is, and I know that if those are real freaks, they are living in cages." Her eyes were sad.  
"How do you think?" Jack inquired, crossing his arms.  
"People want to be free, yeah? From Lizard people to immortal men, who actually wants to devote themselves fully to one director? We know that person whats money. Why else would you showcase freaks? The people won't stay so you put them in a cage."  
By that time, their coffee had arrived and Jack sighed, resolved. "So I guess I can't change your mind?"  
Qwen sighed. "I'd feel so powerless. I'm sorry." She let her eyes fall from his and sipped her hot coffee.  
"I guess I'm going alone then." Jack said morosely.  
"Wait, your still going?" Qwen said quickly, the coffee in her mouth almost slipping back past her lips and down the front of her shirt.  
"Yeah. I just feel I have too. Adventure and all." He said, giving her a cocky smile.  
"Jack Harkness, your going to be the death of me." She said, sighing for what felt like the millionth time that day.  
"Oo, I hope not," He said, clasping her shoulder then sipping his own coffee. "Your not Immortal."  
"Ha ha, but really. Take care of yourself. Don't go killing yourself on purpose." She said as they exited the shop.  
"Do I ever?"  
"How would I know If you did?"  
"Good point."  
Sighing, she looked down. "I guess I can't talk you out of going?"  
"Nope."  
"Take care of yourself Jack. Don't let your freak side show were the owner can see it." Qwen said giving him a hug.  
He chuckled. "I won't," he promised as they parted and he patted her shoulder.  
"Goodbye," she said as she turned and walked the other direction.  
Jack played with the Idea of not going, but immediately threw it out. It was a once in a lifetime chance. He had to take it. He just hoped that ignoring the feeling in his stomach wouldn't end up getting him killed.


	2. Chapter 2: A Freakshow To Die For

**Do Not Own**

**Hey all! Long chapter! Thanks to those who reviewed, and who followed + Favorited ! Please Review! I'll try to respond if you do!**

**Chapter two: A Freakshow to Die For**

Everett Galad was scared of Mr. Holeman, and he felt that indeed he should be. Everyone should.

The tall man had nothing against beating someone, and certainly didn't think little before shoving you in a cave like the rest of the freaks.

That was why, when the director told him to clean out the two assed man's "bathroom" he had to agree.

The said freak, a man that indeed sported two rear ends from his back, was currently being dressed for the night's performance.

He entered the small cage, pulling nose plugs only his nose and grimacing at the smell that still managed to slip by.

The freaks all had buckets in their cages for toilets, adding to the reasons to do what Mr. Holemans said.

Because he's lock you up in a cage with a bucket as a toilet.

The case of the two assed man, however, was different. He had a trough for reasons Evrett could only leave up to his imagination.

As he began to empty its disgusting contents he heard the snapping of a twig behind him.

Twisting around quickly, he tried to peer through the darkness but just saw the inky black that encased the night.

Shrugging, he returned to the task at hand.

When he heard another noise behind him, like a deep hiss and burble, he shot up from where he crouched down, gripping his hands close to his chest.

"Duncan, is that you?" He said, his voice shaking in fear.

"Duncan, this most certainly is not funny. Please, stop it and come help me."

His pleas were met with complete silence, save the noise that frightened him.

The back of the tent wavered as a shadow slid under it, and appeared before Evrett.

Black, with what seemed like a purple glow around the edges, it was like a snake - except the small pointed wings that protruded from its back.

Evrett used all the control within his power to stay still and not provoke it.

Though, it didn't seem to stop it from turning its beady purple eyes towards him.

The boy whimpered in fear as the snake moved forward slowly, and with a sudden jolt make a leap at Everett's face.

His screams were muffled as the snake managed to slither down his throat and into his stomach, where he could feel it continue to write and wiggle.

He couldn't scream, his throat having been ripped apart and bleeding.

Suddenly, he stopped moving, and as his body started to cave into itself, deflating and sucking into his center his eyes dimmed.

Eventually there was nothing left of Evrett Galad, except a black and purple that seemed just a tad bigger.

* * *

The Doctor shot up from where he was sitting in his cage, noticing a disturbance in the time that moved around him.

While usually the strands that moved around him were flat like a haze, he saw a small waver in one of them, like a wave swelling up and down.

Instincts in his core screamed for him to run and get out if here, to get away from the danger.

He began pacing his tent, where he supposed to be preparing himself for the show.

He murmured words to himself in a language that no one would recognize, but was like original programming to The Doctor. Gallifreyan. He didn't know how he knew that name, but that's what it was called.

He looked up as one of his guards stuck his head in the tent, 'tsked', and pulled out.

The Doctor cursed, then returned to his seat when he heard the buzz of the radio.

Seconds ticked by, and the instincts telling him to run only made his hearts beat faster.

Suddenly, Mr. Holeman entered the tent, dressed in a purple tail coat that ended a bit before his calves. His white socks went up to just below that, allowing just a bit of hairy leg to show. His black shoes offset the socks.

"Nice legs..." He mumbled to himself in Gallifreyan.

"What was that?" The director spat angrily at the skinny man.

"Nothing." The Doctor replied in English like it was an afterthought, his eyes diverted to the upper corner of the tent where not much of anything was going on.

The tall man simply raised an eyebrow, his eyes holding an unimaginable amour of irritation.

"The guard said you were beginning to go off your rocker, speaking in that silly made up language of yours.

"It's not made up." The Doctor snapped.

"Then how come I've never heard it before?"

"Because I know it isn't! Can you imagine how hard it would be to make up a language and remember it all, without the ability to write it down!"

The Doctor sneered.

"You could have made it up before I found you!"

The Doctor tsked. "I woke up here, there was nothing but this show and these cruel cages!" He said pointing to the corner where a cage was standing by.

"This is how life is everywhere."

"That's not true, because I know you don't sleep in a cage at night, our audience doesn't either. Besides, it just sounds wrong."

The Directors lip twitched.

"How did you find me again?" The Doctor inquired from his chair, leaning forward in his chair a bit, head propped up on his elbow.

"Finish getting ready." He spat, leaving the tent with a stiff flip of the flap and a "watch him."

The Doctor instantly deflated, and eyed the one spot in the corner where the time was disrupted.

He sighed into himself and held an arm over his chest where his twin hearts beat rapidly. He knew something bad was going to happen.

* * *

The crowd heading into the large tent buzzed with excitement and anticipation. The moon was already high in the sky and bathed the land in front of Jack in its pale light.

He hadn't dressed up for the occasion, but after looking around almost wished he had.

His long blue coat and suspenders made him stand out from those around him wearing suits and dresses.

Making a face, he shrugged and continued to the seating place at the front of the tent.

He was glad he had made it there early, and glad he got a decent seat in about the place he usually fancied to sit.

He waited with anticipation for the tent to fill and for the show to start.

After what felt like an eternity to Jack, a tall man stepped on stage with a wicked smile.

"Welcome, one and all to The Freakshow of a lifetime!" His posture was elegant, but it also seems to exude a sense of self importance.

Jack immediately knew this man was a dick.

Fighting the urge to cross his arms, Jack shifted in his seat.

As the man backed off the stage and the first freak entered the stage, everyone except Jack seemed to be on the edge of their seats.

The freaks were pretty amazing, most of them anyway. The man with two butts was just awkward and quite disgusting.

The man was not skinny, and his two asses seemed to jiggle every time he walked.

He had strutted across the stage, jumped up and down and then took a bow, his eyes dark and mournful.

Next was the lizard lady.

She walked out, a veil on her face with a grace of one very old but lithe. When the veil was removed, everyone gasped at her human eyes surrounded by the scales of a lizard that coated her entire body as she removed the large cloak covering her more revealing attire.

Once she had left the stance after a bow, Jack hadn't realized how immersed he was.

More freaks followed - a man that could remove his limbs, a boy and a girl attached to each other, a girl with three fingers on each hand and slightly pointed ears, a girl with four hands and an insane ability to juggle.

Then they got to an act that would chance Jacks life forever.

As the thin man entered the stage, his long brown coat flowing out behind him Jack got a chill. A sense of forlorn.

"Give a round of applause for the man with two hearts!" The director called from the side of the stage as a large screen was brought out.

As the man stood behind the screen, messing with the dials and knobs two beating masses appeared in the image of a ribcage.

People 'ooo'd and 'ahh'd but some looked unimpressed. But the man wasn't done.

He stepped out from behind the screen and called out, in a rant her bland and unhappy voice. "Would someone from the audience like to come up here and use this stethoscope to hear my hearts?" He asked.

Many people raised their stood up to volunteer, in using Jack who was majorly intrigued by this man.

The man searched the crowd twice over her before his eyes landed on Jack.

The immortal man could've been going nuts, but the man on stage seemed to gulp, and a head of sweat slid down his face. It was almost as if he looked at Jack in fear and apprehension. Besides this look, he raised he arm and pointed at Jack. "You, there in the blue coat. Why don't you come up here?" He said, his voice soft and demanding at the same time.

Jack stood awkwardly, moving through the people in his row to get to the isle.

The entire there was quiet as Jack moved down the aisle up to the stage. Everyone's eyes were on him.

He walked up the small stair case on the edge of the stage and approached the man.

"What's your name?" He asked, as he pulled the stethoscope off his neck and handed it to Jack.

"Jack Harkness," He said, and the freak nodded.

He handed him the stethoscope and told him where to place it.

As Jack placed the end onto the man's chest, he did indeed hear a beat thump beat thump of what could be two hearts.

"You can also hear it hear," The man said moving the end to a place on the other side of his chest, halfway down below his left breast. There the sound was more of a thump beat thump beat.

As Jack took off the stethoscope, he looked up into the man's eyes, Jack could see fear there, along with amazement and something that could be wonder. They were two old to belong to a face this young. He forced his eyes away, almost feeling as if seeing what he saw was something very, very wrong. He felt like he was trespassing.

When Jack handed the stethoscope back to the man, he was pulled into a tight hand shake, a really tight one. Jack was forced to look the man in the eyes once again.

"Listen to me." The man hissed into his ear, his voice shaking and desperate. "When this show is over, you leave. Don't ever go back. You're wrong. You are so very wrong, the way it acts around you... I can just feel how wrong you are in my bones."

Jack felt slightly offended, and tried to pull away but the man held tight.

"You have to leave. Leave before the show is over even. If the director finds out about you, you will be caged like the rest of us!"

Jack was astonished. "You're caged? None of you act like your cag-!"

Jack was cut off by the cheering crowd as the Director took the stage once again, walking over to where Jack and the man were still having a long handshake.

"Thank you, honored guest. You may go now." He said, his beady black eyes looking down at Jack.

The immortal man turned to leave, but was stopped when the Director hissed out. "You will make sure to tell me if the freak has said anything offending? Mm?"

Jack looked back at him and nodded, hurrying off stage.

Back in his seat, he felt his heart beat rapidly.

The rest of the show passed in a blur for Jack, his mind on what the doctor said. How was he wrong? And about what? He hadn't actually said anything to the man with two hearts!

Soon, all the freaks made one last appearance on stage - each taking a bow.

When the man appeared on stage, as he bowed he looked directly at Jack, his deep brown eyes dark and foreboding.

Soon everyone was ushered out of the main tent and out to the parking lot.

Jack looked back at the large tent, looking back at the one behind it. He knew it must have been where the cages were. Freaks in cages. He should've known.

He turned to leave, to heed the warnings of the man when he sighed, and began to push through the crowds of people back towards the other tent. He needed to know what the freak had meant. That he was wrong. He just wanted to know more about the man in general. He had been one of the more intriguing freaks to perform. Against all better judgment, he went to get into that tent.

He had some experience sneaking into (and out of) places. In high school they had never been able catch him getting out or into the school.

Behind the large viewing tent, he peaked around the corner into the smaller tent - and watched in horror as each freak was push in turn into their own cages. They were filthy and disgusting, looking as if they had not been scrubbed or cleaned in their life.

Jack felt anger roll around in the pit of his stomach just viewing this atrocity,

The director moved down the line of cages till he stopped in front of the man with two hearts. "Doctor, what did you say to that man on stage?" He inquired forcefully.

The Doctor smiled and said something in a strange language that Jack couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"In English you freak!" Mr. Holeman shouted angel.

"I told him that he should try to find the gift shop to buy a doll of me." The Doctor said angrily.

"Of course you did! Now, tell me what you really said."

"No." The Doctor hissed out under his breath.

"Fine!" The Director said angrily, and pointed to a skinny man in the corner. "Take him to the chain cell."

The Doctors pupils dilated in fear, but he didn't complain when the man attached hand cuffs to him and hauled him out of the cage.

The skinny man took him out the other end of the tent from where Jack was watching. He moved swiftly and carefully down the outside of the tent to where the skinny man was leading the Doctor away to another smaller tent that was poorly lit. After taking him inside,

Jack found a place outside to wait for the man to return without the Doctor. Minutes passed, and Jack could feel his heart beat like a drum in his chest.

Finally, the man exited swiftly leaving the small dank tent unguarded.

Jack slipped inside as silent as he could.

"Came to gloat so soon?" The Doctor said. He was facing away from Jack, his body coated in chains. But to add Icing to the cake that was imprisonment, there was chains wrapped around the tiny cage holding the man.

"Not really, no." Jack said. He couldn't help but smile at the face the Doctor made as he turned around.

"What are you doing here!? I told you to leave! They could find out about you!" He shouted, then bit his lip.

"How do you -" Jack started, but was cut off by the Doctor.

"You need to go. Now!" He said. "He's coming! He always comes to gloat when someone is put in this dammed cage!"

"I'm not leaving 'till you explain what you meant when you said I was wrong?" Jack said. "What was I wrong about?"

"I didn't mean you were wrong about something. I meant you were wrong. As in you feel wrong. You're not right. Time moves weirdly around you. I don't know what you are, or-"

Suddenly, the tent flap flew open to reveal Mr. Holeman - his ear practically exuding steam from anger. "You told him to come free you didn't you!?" He said angrily.

"No, Sir I-" Jack called out, trying to set it right - but he was sent quiet by the sight of a gun pointed at his chest.

"Please, don't -" Jack started, but didn't let him finish.

He fired three shots all together. The first outright missed, but the other two hit. The first one went into Jacks leg, sending splitting pain up into his entire body and causing him to fall to his knees.

The Director's third shot couldn't have missed no matter what. He stepped forward and placed the barrel right onto Jack's brow. "You can't try to free my freaks and get out alive." He hissed as he fired the third shot, sending Jack's world into an oblivion of black, and nothingness.


End file.
